Lovell Park Road Bridge, Leeds - BRIDGE REMOVAL! (Video)

The beam lift was carried out using the biggest mobile crane available in the UK!

Lovell Park Road Bridge is a single span bridge forming the link between Lovell Park Road and Wade Lane in Leeds City Centre. Due to a vast network of services and previously incomplete works, the bridge has remained as a one way traffic route out of the city for the last two years.

The scope of works for this contract are to remove and replace 2No. top flange edge beams with 4No. pre-tensioned U-Beams spanning across the A58(M) Inner Ring Road to Leeds City Centre. Service diversions will then be carried out and we will then construct a new deck, edge beams, parapets, surfacing and finishing works to re-open the bridge for 2-way traffic prior to the opening of Leeds Arena, this will then become a major traffic route in and out of the city as it was before.

Over an 8 week period leading up to the beam lift, enabling works were carried out on site to ensure the existing beams where free from their exiting bearings and prepared ready to lift over a weekend closure of the A58(M). This closure had never been carried out before for works under Leeds City Council and therefore required a lot of careful planning to ensure the successful completion of the removal of the 2No. existing beams over a 56 hour window.

The lift of the 2 No. existing beams was carried out by MAMMOET under a contract lift using a 1200T Mobile Crane, this being the biggest mobile crane available in the UK. The rigging and de-rigging of this crane had to be accurately worked into the programme as this can take up to 12 hours per lift. This was carried out successfully and well within contingency timelines due to a well planned and executed method of works.

With co-operation from the Transport Department of Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Police, safe and effective routes were made available to escort the 38m long beams safely back to Elland Road Stadium to be demolished.